Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (9) scrambles in the second quarter of the game against the Green Bay Packers at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 15, 2013. / Tim Heitman, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

by Lindsay H. Jones, USA TODAY Sports

ARLINGTON, Texas - It was all setting up so perfectly for the Dallas Cowboys.

The Philadelphia Eagles had lost, meaning all the Cowboys needed to do was find a way to beat the Green Bay Packers, a team still playing without quarterback Aaron Rodgers, to regain control of the NFC East.

And with a 23-point halftime lead, Dallas appeared set to cruise into next weekend with a chance to clinch the NFC East and a coveted playoff berth.

Then it all disappeared.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo threw two fourth-quarter interceptions as he joined the defense in an epic second-half meltdown as the Packers rallied for a 37-36 win Sunday.

"This is a bitter, bitter disappointment," Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said as he stood outside of a somber and stunned locker room.

The Cowboys had experienced heartbreak this season, as recently as six days earlier in a 45-28 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. There also was a 49-17 blowout loss at the New Orleans Saints and a 51-48 shootout home defeat to the Denver Broncos.

Yet this one felt worse than all of them.

Even before referee Walt Coleman had finished a lengthy replay review with 84 seconds remaining before overturning what was initially ruled an incomplete pass by Romo into an interception by the Packers' Tramon Williams, Dallas fans were quickly filing out of a stadium that had fallen silent - save for chants of "Let's Go Pack" from the thousands of Green Bay backers who had stayed to watch the rally.

Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant also couldn't bear to watch. The star receiver, who caught a touchdown pass to help Dallas extend its lead midway through the fourth quarter but failed to connect with Romo on several other TD chances, stormed to the locker room with about 1:20 remaining.

"It's an emotional game," Romo said. "At the end there, it wasn't fun for any of us to lose."

Especially not with what had been at stake Sunday, thanks to Philadelphia's loss earlier in the day to the Minnesota Vikings.

Had the Cowboys held off the Packers, they would have moved back into a tie with the Eagles, with a chance to regain first place with a win at the Washington Redskins and an Eagles loss to the Bears in Week 16.

The best the Cowboys can hope for is to beat the Redskins to set up a winner-take-all Week 17 game against Philadelphia at AT&T Stadium.

The Cowboys have lost de facto division title games in the Week 17 of the past two seasons.

The scrutiny will only intensify in the next two weeks - on Romo for his late-game interceptions and on a Dallas defense that is in shambles.

Romo and coach Jason Garrett admitted Sunday that Romo switched out of a called running play at the line of scrimmage on the first of his two fourth-quarter interceptions. Romo said he saw the Packers defense overload one side of the formation, so he tried to hit wide receiver Miles Austin on a short pass over the middle.

Instead, cornerback Sam Shields intercepted Romo's pass, and the Packers took their first and only lead at 37-36 eight plays and 1:34 later on a 1-yard touchdown run by rookie running back Eddie Lacy.

"It's easy to look back now and say, 'Run the ball, run the ball, run the ball,' but at the same time now, if they're going to have numbers, it's a tough situation," Romo said. "What I have to do is do a better job of protecting the ball in that situation, and I didn't do a good enough job of that tonight."

Dallas' defense, which held Green Bay to three points (on Mason Crosby's 57-yard field goal) and 132 total yards in the first half, collapsed in the third quarter.

With the win, Green Bay improved to 7-6-1 and remain alive, though still a long shot, for a playoff spot. The Packers left feeling as though they had found the type of momentum that could carry them to wins in the final two weeks against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Bears, especially if Rodgers is able to return.

"I haven't felt this way in a long time. I feel like we won the Super Bowl," Green Bay linebacker Clay Mathews said. "I know it might be premature in saying it. I feel like I was in college again, the way we were celebrating on the sideline.

"With all the adversity we've been through, the injuries, just everything, for us to come down here and get this victory, in the fashion that we did, it really speaks